Congratulations, sweet, beautiful Merida!

This is a huge week for my sister Betty and her family in New Hampshire.  Her daughter Merida, one of the sweetest teenage girls EVER, won Miss Capital Area's Teen.  I gotta share the joy and the beautiful pictures. 

And of course, my favorite pics - with Mom and  Dad....

And with that cool little brother Isaiah.....

Scott, proud Dad, funny Dad, as always!

Picnic, Sammy's haircut, Destiny's school prep, Grange Fair, lunch with Austin, Sophie still RULES!

Another week of August gone by, and it's time for most schools to start.  That doesn't affect me so much anymore, but it still always makes me feel sad.  I love summer so much, and I don't like it to end.

On Thursday evening we had a picnic in the pavilion close by with a few of our neighbors.  It was a great time getting to know them and an absolutely beautiful evening.  Eventually though, dark clouds came rolling in, and we had those on one side and almost blinding sun on the other.  We packed up and got home just as the rain started.

The evening before I had made a pasta salad to take to the picnic.  The recipe called for peas.  I could not believe it the next day when I opened my "junk" drawer and discovered these very unfrozen peas in it!!

On Friday afternoon I hit the road for Lancaster County again.  When I got to Sam's we decided this time to go to the local Green Dragon Farmer's Market.  I had been there just one time as an early teenager.  We walked around, Sam got his usual fish sandwich, I got some batter-dipped veggies, and Sammy ate some of everything we had and put on his usual charm for anyone who would watch.

I love this picture so much.

As we walked to the car we decided on a whim to drive to Manheim where a friend of Sam's has recently opened a barbershop. Sammy was about to get his first haircut!  He fell asleep on the half-hour drive there, and Sam was sure it would be a disaster.  But he would be wrong!

Sammy woke up in a good mood when we arrived, he got in a progressively better mood as we waited for the boy before him to get his haircut, and by the time it was his turn, he was READY!  He never cried once, even when we decided to give the clipper a try.  The barber had never used one on such a young child and was sure it would scare him.  But he would be wrong too!

He suddenly looked so un-babyish!  What a guy!

Saturday morning I had fun playing with him while Sam got a rare chance to sleep in and later mowed the lawn.  I have to tell this funny story.  While I was getting showered and dressed, they were outside playing in their tent.  The neighbor man was mowing and stopped for some friendly conversation.  Eventually he asked, "So is your mom here?"  Sam said I was.  Then the neighbor asked,  "Does that mean you're going to mow?"  I CRACKED UP when Sam told me that later.  Does he think that I come to make Sam mow his yard??  Toooo funny!  It's just a lot easier for him to mow when I'm there to watch Sammy while he does it.   While he mowed I was pulling some weeds and Sammy was helping me.  Seriously, he WAS!  He pulled some weeds, and he LOVED putting my weeds into the big trash can.   Some pictures from our morning -

And one of the videos we made for Jenn.  It's a little longer than some, but it gets better and better.  He adds some of his moves with his saxophone music!

I left their place around noon and drove to Reading.  I picked up Destiny and we got her early birthday gift of backpack, notebooks, pencils, a couple of uniform shirts, a belt, etc.  We also took her dirty laundry to a laundromat.  She starts 7th grade tomorrow.   She should be all set to go, except that she found out that the Nikes she spent her money on last week will not be acceptable at the particular middle school she'll be attending.  I think school dress codes are a good thing, but sometimes they can also be a hardship. 

My drive home was easy.  Dick had gone to the BIG EVENT of the year around here - the Grange Fair.  Here's a video of his favorite thing at the fair!

Another thing Dick did yesterday was begin to tackle the bags of Mommy Shoppe donations that we had brought home to wash.  I'm telling you, they make the CUTEST baby clothes these days.  I think I want a baby, hahaha!!  We just ooh and ahh as we fold the adorable things!

After church today Austin came here for lunch and his nap.  He and Grandpa were batting a balloon around.  The goal is always to get it up to the ceiling fan and watch it get batted around.

A few weeks ago I had counted out his M&M's by twos and he said, "That's not how you count!"  But this time HE counted them out by twos himself!  Such a smart cookie!  Then he asked,  "How do you count by ones?"  

In Florida Sophie already started third grade this week.  Her main concern was making sure she is still the fastest runner in her class (not all the same kids as last year.)  Apparently she got the chance to prove that in PE class!  Priorities, haha!

Busy week ahead!  Hope yours is good!

Fun with Sammy; lunch with Destiny; Jada's birthday party

On Friday morning I made a pot of chili and prepared all the fixin's.  I put half of everything on the top shelf of the fridge for Dick, Anthony, and Austin to have for dinner (Lori had a late day at work).  The other half I took with me, and I drove to Lancaster County to Sam and Sammy's.  

We had our chili dinner when I got there, then we went to Goodwill so see what we could find.  Nothing for me this time.  But Sammy found a saxophone!  

I loved it!  I could play a lot of his favorite songs for him just by pressing the buttons.  Plus, there were a whole lot of pre-programmed songs to listen to.  Here's a video we made for Jenn.


When we got home from Goodwill Sammy did not want to get out of my car, so we decided to drive around.   This time we went back through the Denver, PA countryside, looking at all the spacious homes and farms and farmettes, the "plain" people working and riding their bikes. Eventually we drove by two of my uncles' lovely homes.  It was fun. Here's my Uncle Earl's home - a picture I took last Labor Day weekend when I was there for a family gathering. (And my lovely old car parked out front, haha!)

On Saturday morning we went to downtown Ephrata.  There was a little farmer's market going on.  I also found the Reuzit Shop.  I found a 2-quart measuring pitcher to replace the one I recently melted.  Next door to that was Sam's favorite toy store.  I don't even remember what the name of it was, but it reminded me a lot of our favorite one in State College, The Growing Tree.  Outside was a bubble machine.  What fun!


Sammy is such a head-turner!  People just can't ignore him because he's so CUTE and charming.  I know I'm biased, but seriously, it's the truth!

When we got home I had to pack up to leave.  There was a first birthday party for Frank's Jada that afternoon in Reading, and I was planning to pick Destiny up at 12 noon.  

Destiny had cash with her when she got into the car.  She'd been saving it up to buy school shoes.  I was so proud of her for not frittering it away on corner store junk food, etc.  She knew exactly which shoes she wanted at Champs at the Berkshire Mall.  So that's where we went first.  To get to the Champs store in the mall we had to walk by a pet store.  We indulged ourselves with some puppy holding.  This was an irresistible cockapoo (if I remember correctly).  Destiny was trying to take pictures of us with my phone.

Then we got the shoes, Nikes of course.  And on to the food court for some lunch - Chinese as usual.  

And then we went to the birthday party.  Lauren had everything looking so festive and beautiful on the closed-in deck.  

Jada, the birthday girl.

Destiny showed her the balloons.

Destiny, Jada, and Lauren's daughter Nicayla.  So much cuteness!

Daddy and daughter.  No question who she looks like!

Birthday cake time.  Unfortunately, right after I snapped this picture, Jada reached out and touched one of the candles.  That put a bit of a damper on things for a while, but she recovered with some ice.  

Then it was gift opening time.  She was not the least interested in all the cute clothes she was given.  But she LOVED the Hello Kitty chair.  And that 20-dollar bill in her hand, haha!

I left a little before 7 pm and was home shortly after 9:30.  I enjoy listening to NPR on Saturday evenings as I drive - Prairie Home Companion, a live concert, etc.  

I need to add one more picture, one that Lisa posted today on Facebook.  George has been away for two weeks of job training, and they're so happy to have him back home.  They spent the afternoon at the beach.  Can't wait to see them when we go down for a visit in October!

My MAC; the things kids say!

I'm writing this post from my MAC.  We've actually had this computer for a few months, thanks to Anthony and Lori's decision to get a new one for themselves.  But it was not my primary computer until now.  Last week I got the "blue screen of death" on my 8-year-old PC.  It had served me well, and thankfully we subscribe to Carbonite, so all my files, including the many, many songs I have arranged for praise and worship teams over the years, were all backed up.

The past two days Anthony has spent hours here getting everything I need up and running on this computer.  This monitor is just incredible.  I am a very blessed mom.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Anthony!

Austin's preschool was closed this week, so he was here yesterday.  Oh, the funny things he says!  He picked up my 3-pound weights and said,  "These are baby weights."  I said, "Well, I use them!"  He said, "They're grandma baby weights.  When you were a baby your mom and dad got these for you and teached you how to do them."  

Later I was doing my face and when I applied my mascara he said, "Why are you doing that, Grandma?"  I said, "Oh, it makes my eyelashes look prettier."  He said,  "They don't look prettier!  If they would be purple they would look prettier."  

And then there's the story that came from Florida today.  Sophie's school had a "meet your teacher" event.  Sophie's teacher asked her, "Is your mom the yoga teacher?"  Sophie said, "Yeah, but she's really cranky this week because my Dad is out of town and she can't go to yoga."  As if that wasn't enough damage, she added,  "I'm trying not to annoy her, but I'm not doing a very good job."  

It reminded me of Anthony's "meet your teacher" event before he entered Pre-K.  The teacher was making visits to each of her students' homes.  Anthony was in a boisterous show-offy mood.  He tried to be very funny the whole time she was there.  At one point he was climbing up on top of the baby changing table and jumping off of it.  In my most patient voice I said, "Anthony, would you stop doing that, please?"  At full volume he answered, "NO!!!"  and proceeded to climb back up again.  Ugh.  I was sure she was absolutely dreading having him in her classroom.  Turns out school was just what he needed and he was an excellent student from day one.  

Well, I have a couple of big days ahead, so I need to find my bed. 

Sorry, no pictures this time!

We had Sammy all to ourselves!

We did something for the first time ever this past weekend - we had Sammy here without his daddy and mommy.   And I think we passed the test!  So did Sammy.

Friday evening we met Sam at a Sheetz gas station above Harrisburg to pick him up.   This looks like a good start, right? 

That cash register was a favorite, especially the money in the drawer, haha!

He even smiles in the morning!

He remembered his favorite drawer in my kitchen.  Do you think I have enough measuring cups?

About mid-morning we went outside, first to the playground below our house. 

As with all our grandchildren, he LOVED walking around in the storage area under the house.  I guess it feels like a place just their size!

And of course, Grandpa's shed is another favorite place. 

And the rocking chairs, especially bumping them against the porch railing. 

After his nap we went to Spring Creek Park.

And then to Chik Fil-a for some food and more play time. 

I love how blue shirts bring out his gorgeous blue eyes.

After we came home it was bath time.  Grandpa was blowing bubbles for him. 

After his bath Dick was watching a Steelers-Giants game on TV.  I gave Sammy a cheese stick and he got up onto the sofa and watched too.  He looks like an old pro already, hahaha!

Of all Sundays, Dick and I were scheduled to sing in a quartet for the special music at Fillmore's service, which is at 8:15.   I wasn't sure how that would work, since there's no nursery service there, but my friend Peg had agreed to sit with him while we sang, and he didn't mind at all.  I think he liked our songs!  He especially liked when they sang Happy Birthday to the people with birthdays this week.  He definitely recognized that song and kept saying Happy Birthday after that!

We left after our songs were over since we had to get to Houserville.  He totally charmed everyone there.  I had to watch my friend Sharon or she might have taken him home with her!  He just kept following her around after church was over.

He fell asleep on the way home and napped right there on the sofa for several hours.  

Around 3:00 we left for Jenn's parents near Harrisburg, where we met Sam.   He was glad to see his daddy.  While he did so well for us, he definitely was missing Sam and Jenn.  When he would seem to be asking about or looking for them, I would say,  "Mommy's in Texas."  Then he would try to say "Texas".  But then when I would say, "And Daddy's at home," he would start to whine a bit, like he didn't like it one bit that Daddy would be at home without him.  This was the longest he had ever been away from Sam!  I think I did a pretty good job of keeping both Sam and Jenn well supplied with pictures.  I like to send videos to Jenn - mostly stuff that only a mommy and a grandma would love, hahaha!!